Streets
by Devil of My Family
Summary: Unfortunate events of life has forced both Kurt and Blaine out of their homes and to live on the streets. It's a complete coincidence that they meet but this chance encounter might just proof to be the best thing to ever happen to them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again! Didn't take me too long, did it?**

**:) **

**So, some background info regarding this story: I posted a drabble on Tumblr like... last March and the idea stuck with me. I twisted and turned it and created a plot around it and eventually added a side-character that kept nudging my imagination and TA-DA! **

**Hope you all like it!**

**Rated T for future chapters.**

**Happy reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

**Prologue - Meeting**

"Here you go, buddy," Kurt smiled as he placed a small bowl of water in front of an excited Jackrussel. The two of them had stopped to sit on the stairs of the library and were quite ignored by everyone who walked by. Occasionally a child would point at the dog but were always dragged away by their parents who mumbled something under their breaths that Kurt chose not to hear.

"No, Thatcher!" he snapped with undeniable fondness taking the edge off his voice. The little dog tilted his head and blinked as if trying to steal someone's sandwich was perfectly acceptable. "I'll give you your dinner in a minute, okay?"

Thatcher yawned and curled up next to Kurt and the boy took that as a 'fine, whatever'. He scratched his friend's neck absentmindedly as he observed the people that walked, jogged, drove by. Every now and then a passing dog would catch Thatcher's attention and he wagged his tail lazily but didn't bother to get up to greet them. Much like how Kurt perked up whenever a good looking, lone boy would walk by but the fact that he never said anything had less to do with lazyness than it did with utter shyness.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" Kurt mumbled. "You up for the beach? You could chase some seagulls."

Yes, beach was a good idea. They could probably make it there before it turned dark. He could most likely find a good place to set up a camp for the night, even though he was pretty sure it would start raining at some point. The sun was out now and the there wasn't a cloud in sight but Kurt had learned to read the signs and this overly awesome weather would only last for so long.

"Fine, don't contribute to my ideas. I know you only stick with me for the food." Thatcher's head shot up at the sound of his favorite word. "Alright, you, here. Your turn."

Thatcher let out a 'woof' when Kurt fished a can of meat out of his green duffle bag. A few seconds later he was happily destroying his dinner and Kurt knew that for a few moments, Thatcher's world only consisted of him and his bowl.

He went back to people watching and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw a boy around his age sitting on the edge of a fountain near by. The boy's hair was nicely curly and even from where he was at, Kurt could see he was sporting a rather attractive morning shadow. This stranger's attention was completely on the guitar he was holding in his lap and it appeared he was trying to tune it. A couple of seconds later he played a note, nodded his approval and stood up.

And oh, Kurt was not prepared for it when he started singing.

Of course, Kurt had seen many street performers in his life. Hell, he was kind of one himself. But wow, this boy was _good_. So good, in fact, that people actually stopped to listen. They didn't just throw dollar bills and annoying, left over change into his guitar case, they actually stopped to enjoy the boy's version of 'Teenage Dream'.

Kurt forgot his plans to go to the beach completely and clapped with everyone else when the boy ended the song. After a quick, high-spirited 'thank you', he started with another one but this one Kurt didn't recognize.

Thatcher finished his dinner and tried to snuggle his way to Kurt's lap but his owner was paying little to no attention to him at the moment. His eyes were glued to the singer and found himself mouthing along to the words of the songs he knew. Thatcher let out a quiet, annoyed whine and jumped against Kurt to lick him behind the ear but that only earned him a gentle pat to the head and an order to be quiet.

It could have been minutes or hours later, Kurt had no idea, but it wasn't until the little crowd around the performer had all gone and the singer was purchasing something from the moving hot dog stand that he realized the show was over. The bubble around him popped and he could suddenly feel Thatcher's annoyed eyes burning a hole into him.

"Sorry," he murmured. "But that was pretty amazing."

If dogs could huff, Kurt was sure Thatcher would have done just that. He was definitely quite unamused because Kurt had ignored him and proudly turned to look the other way when Kurt pulled him closer for kind of a hug.

Look the other way only to see something that caused him to bolt.

Food.

"Thatcher! Thatcher, wait, you little...!"

"Why hey, little guy."

Kurt's breath got stuck in his throat. Curse Thatcher and his bottomless stomach. The small dog was now sitting in front of the singing boy, wagging his tail as if they had always known each other. The reason he was acting so friendly was no doubt the hot dog that was oozing with ketchup.

Knowing the dog would follow this boy to the ends of the world for just a bite, Kurt got up. He'd only put Thatcher in the leash, whisper an apology and leave, that was the plan. A good, simple plan that would keep him out of trouble and embarrassing situations.

"I'm sorry," he said with his eyes glued to the ground when he reacher the two. "He's a little obnoxious sometimes."

"What? No, no, it's fine. He's real cute. What's his name?"

Kurt swallowed. "Thatcher."

"Thatcher. Yeah, it suits him. Hello, Thatcher! You want a piece? Can I give him one?"

"Uh... Yeah, sure. I mean, you don't have to, it's..."

"Can he do tricks? Like, play dead, roll, jump...? Oh, jump! You can jump. Okay, alright buddy! Want the hot dog? Come on, buddy, jump! That's it, good!"

Kurt's jaw dropped. His interaction with other people usually only included the words 'go' and 'away' and now this absolute stranger was eagerly feeding his dog treats in exchange of tricks.

"I'm Blaine, by the way."

_Do not tell him your name, do NOT tell him your name, do not tell him your name, do. not. tell. him. your. na..._

"Kurt."

_Damn it_.

And wow, now Blaine was looking straight at him. His eyes sparkled with a smile and general good mood that Kurt found to be rare these days.

"You live close by?"

Such an innocent question, wasn't it?

"Uh..." Kurt said and settled on gesturing to a general direction. "Sort of."

Blaine eyed him curiously. "Do you live anywhere?"

That could have been so offensive but somehow Kurt just knew Blaine didn't mean it like that at all. "I live in the city," he replied vaguely.

"In the city?"

"_In_ the city. Like, I mean..."

"I know you what you mean."

Kurt paused. "...do you?"

"Yeah. I do."

And there it was. The brief moment of understanding that occurs between people that honestly do get it. Kurt felt a smile tug the corner of his mouth.

"You uh... Would you maybe want to have a coffee?" Blaine asked suddenly, nodding his head towards the cart he had got his hot dog from.

"I don't suppose they have non-fat mocha."

"Yeah, probably not but whatever they sell, it's still coffee, right? Liquid of gods."

Kurt should have refused, should have said that no, Blaine had earned his money and should use it for something better but two minutes later he was sitting on the edge of that fountain with a cup of hot, black liquid in his hands.

"Thank you," he said as he blew away some steam. "I can't remember the last time I actually got coffee."

"It is pretty good, isn't it?" Blaine said, taking a long sip of his own cup. "So, Kurt. How long have you had Thatcher?"

"Oh, a year or so," Kurt replied, glancing at the dog. "Followed me for the food he did. Still does, probably. Poor thing was starving when I found him. And now you're borderline fat. Yes you are, don't deny it."

Blaine chuckled and Kurt blushed as he realized he had been cooing. He put the paper cup to his lips to hide his embarrassment because damn, that wasn't something he wanted anyone to hear like... ever. "Do you play here often?" he asked to turn the attention away from him.

"More and more. I like to play here, it's not as busy as closer to the center and people have more time and patience."

"And do you usually play Top-40 songs from few years ago?"

"Those were the days when Top-40 was still actually consisted of good songs."

"We can argue about that..."

"Oh, don't tell me you were never into Lady Gaga." Kurt giggled. "Ha! I knew it."

There was a comfortable silence between them as they both drank a little more of their beverage. Thatcher was now lying between them, content after his dinner and the extra treats.

"So where exactly do you come from?"

That was the question Kurt had not expected and which he didn't want to answer.

"Why do you ask?"

"Out of general curiosity."

"There is no such thing."

"Hey, I'm just interested. Everyone has roots," Blaine said, putting his hands up in defense.

"Well, I dug mine up a long time ago," Kurt replied. "I... I think I should go." Blaine didn't say anything as Kurt tied a home-made leash losely around Thatcher's neck. Kurt wasn't sure if he wanted Blaine to stop him but he did know that he was already too friendly with this guy. It wasn't safe, he really should be more careful. "Thanks for the coffee. I hope I get to hear you sing sometime soon again."

He probably wouldn't, he knew, but he shouldered his bag and intended to just walk away without looking back...

"Do you have anywhere _to_ go?"

Kurt stopped. "Only the world," he replied, shrugging as he turned around. Blaine bit his lip, frowning. "Your concern is really sweet, Blaine, but this is my life. I'm used to it. I'll see you around."

He took a step to leave, tugging Thatcher along when Blaine stopped him once again with: "It's gonna rain tonight."

"So we'll get a shower. God knows Thatcher needs one."

"Hey, wait," Blaine said when Kurt waved at him. The pale boy's instincts told him to do everything _but_ wait but for whatever reason he found himself unable to move as he waited for Blaine to pack up his guitar. "Look, I know you have literally zero reason to trust me. I mean, we just met. But we're kind of in the same boat here, right? So isn't it natural that we try to help each other?"

Blaine's brown eyes were so kind and honest that Kurt felt himself melt on the spot. "...I guess?"

"I have a place. Well, not really a place," Blaine corrected himself when Kurt raised his eyebrows. "It's just... a kind of a shelter. Not a luxury hotel or anything but it's dry and reasonably warm. Me and a bunch of friends have made it as comfortable as possible and there's lots of room for you and Thatcher if you want a roof over your heads tonight. Or... any night."

Kurt stared. Out of a habit he looked down to his dog like he would have an instant answer to him but Thatcher was too preoccupied by a squirrel to provide any help. So Kurt looked up to meet Blaine's gaze again and considered his options. It'd be safe to walk away now and he could continue his life as if it had never been interrupted by Guitar Playing Blaine. But ... If he walked away now his life would probably never be interrupted by Blaine again. And that was the thought that made Kurt say:

"Your friends would be fine with us staying? The night."

Blaine's face broke into a smile. "Are you kidding? They'll claim Thatcher as their own the moment they set eyes on him! Trust me, they'll be excited to meet you."

"You sure?"

"Of course! The more the merrier. Come on now, we wanna make it home before the rain starts."

Kurt's heart jolted.

Home.

_No_, he thought to himself. _Not home. _

But he followed Blaine anyway.

* * *

**Sooo, what do you think, does it tickle your interest even a little bit? **

**I'll be back with some Warblers soon! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here I am with chapter 2! Hope you enjoy it! **

**Thank you everyone! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

* * *

**Decisions**

"It's a dog!"

"Jeff, come here, we have a dog!"

"Dog, dog, there's a dog in the house!"

What. The actual. Hell? was the first coherent thought that Kurt's head came up with. There were at least 12 boys fawning over Thatcher who seemed to find all the attention rather flattering. He rolled over to his back, earning a couple of very long 'awws' and soon he was getting the petting of a life time.

"Told you they'd be okay with you coming," Blaine said from behind him, grinning from ear to ear.

"You realize he's never going to want to leave now?"

"Who said he has to?" Blaine winked. He didn't give Kurt time to think about what that was supposed to mean before he casually took the other boy's hand and started to show him around. "I'll introduce you to everyone once stay start acting their own age again," he said. Kurt chuckled, his heart beating quite painfully in his chest as Blaine's grip tightened. "Well, this place isn't much but like I said, it keeps us warm and dry. Just settle down wherever looks comfortable. I should warn you though: some of the guys are not so familiar with something as trivial as personal boundaries.

_Like you?_ Kurt wanted to ask as they were still holding hands. Well, it wasn't as if Kurt didn't enjoy the big, warm hand in his but it had been a long time since he had actually experienced physical contact that wasn't an accidental shove.

"So what do you think of the Casa de Warblers?"

Kurt blinked. "Huh?"

"We call ourselves the Warblers. It's... kind of a code name of sorts, to recognize who is on our side. I know, I know, it's sounds silly but unfortunately we have been forced to take some pre-cautions..." Blaine's voice became lower and his eyes lost some of their sparkle. "Well, you know the code name now which means that I am forced to trust you. And you can trust us, in return."

He smiled at Kurt and Kurt couldn't help but smile back shyly. Trust wasn't something he was used to either. The only thing he could trust in was that Thatcher would always remind him of dinner-time.

"Oh, Blaine! Blaine, Blaine, Blaine, can we keep him?"

A blond boy with a huge smile on his face appeared in front of them then, Thatcher in his arms. If it was possible, the dog actually looked smug.

Blaine laughed lightly. "Well, you'll have convince Kurt here to stay."

It was only then that the boy noticed Kurt. His smile grew and he awkwardly held out a hand, careful not to drop the dog. "Why, hello! I'm Jeff."

"Kurt," Kurt replied, his head spinning from all the smiling.

"He's adorable! Is he yours? What's his name?"

"Uh... Well, I found him, yes. His name is Thatcher."

"Thatcher... Oh, I love that! Thatcher. Thatch... Thatchy! Ah! Kurt, I promise, you will love it here! You and Thatcher never have to leave. Can I go play with him?"

Jeff actually bounced on his feet and Kurt couldn't help but think of a five year old child. It was, however, rather endearing and he ended up nodding. After all, Thatcher could use the work out.

"That's Nick," Blaine said quietly, pointing at a boy who followed the beaming Jeff out of the door. "We're pretty sure there's something going on between them but they aren't confirming anything. I'm quite well aware of where everyone comes from but those two are still a mystery to all of us."

Kurt nodded but his mind was more wrapped up in the tone of Blaine's voice. Absolutely no judgement even though he was almost certain two of his male friends were in a relationship of some sort. Kurt actually had to stop himself from blurting out some of his own secrets right there and then because all of this was quite unbelievable to him.

Could it be possible that Blaine was...?

"So uh... yeah. This is pretty much it. Not much to show, to be honest. The cafeteria on the next alley lets us use their warehouse bathroom. It's quite sad but it's better than nothing and in a group of 15 boys, you take what you can to keep up hygiene. And uh... Yeah. If you two do end up staying for longer then I'll tell you about how we share duties around here. But for now, just sit back and enjoy."

To say Kurt was nervous would be an understatement when, one by one, Blaine's friend started to realize there was someone new in the house. He was glad that Blaine had warned him about the personal boundary thing because otherwise he probably would have had some sort of a panic attack when a boy called Trent actually gave him a hug. An Asian boy with an air or authority around him only acknowledged him with a nod but if Kurt had thought he should be intimidated by him, he figured it was not necessary when he saw him take part in a heated debate about corn-dogs.

He ended up making a little nest for himself a little apart from all the others. It may or may not have been a concious decision to stay closest to Blaine but Kurt decided he didn't have to dwell on what it could mean. It was nothing, he was sure, this was a group of strangers out of which he knew Blaine the best. A little while later, when the sounds of thunder started to shake the building, Jeff and Nick came back in with Thatcher, who bounced his way back to Kurt without a care of who he stepped on.

"We are visitors, you know," Kurt said when the dog reached him. "If it weren't for Blaine's nice invitation, we'd be spending the night in the rain so I expect you to be on your best behaviour."

Thatcher barked softly but it was because Kurt was holding his 'pillow', not because he actually understood what he was told. Pillow, in this case, meant an old sweatshirt that said 'TITANS' on the front and it was Thatcher's own, personal, movable bed. Kurt folded it neatly and placed it next to him and smiled fondly when Thatcher made a few circles around it before he found a comfortable position.

"Looks like he's settling in," a voice said from above them. Kurt jumped as he had not heard Blaine approaching and felt heat rising up his cheeks.

"Yeah, well... It doesn't take more than a few friendly faces and that sweater to make him think he's the king of the place," he said. "Thank you for this, by the way. I don't think I said it. This really is nice of you."

"Don't mention it," Blaine smiled. "I like being nice. Makes it easier to make new friends."

Blaine's eyes were sparkling again and Kurt wondered if it would ever be possible not to return the smile. It was rather scary how he was already feeling quite comfortable when he didn't really have any reason to.

"Well, it certainly looks like being nice has paid off for you," he said, looking around at all the boys who were now getting ready for bed.

"I'm lucky," Blaine admitted. He missed the way Kurt's smile faltered a bit. "Alright, I'll let you sleep. I hope you stick around because tomorrow's Tuesday."

Kurt blinked. "What's so special about Tuesdays?"

Blaine's smile turned into a grin and he whispered suspicously: "I'll let you know if you stick around." And with a wink, he was off.

Confused, Kurt lied down on his self-made bed, careful not to kick Thatcher. "What a weird day," he mumbled to himself before the steady rhythm of the rain lulled him to a deep sleep.

He woke up with a start, which wasn't very unusual, and immediately wondered how he had managed to stay asleep for as long as he had. The sound of more than a dozen boys snoring around him was not something Kurt was used to and he knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, despite the early hour. He peeked out of a small window and saw that the rain had ended and the sun was slowly climbing up the sky. It was probably around 5 am and the busiest rush hour would start soon.

Kurt leaned against the wall, his mind still foggy from sleep. Thatcher, who had snapped awake by his owner's movements, yawned and looked at him expectantly with his big, brown eyes. Either he was waiting for Kurt to make a decision about what to do, or he was hungry again.

"I don't have any meat left, you'll have to settle for dry food," Kurt whispered to him. "We'll try to make some money today, okay?"

The dog didn't seem to mind his dull breakfast, he downed it quickly. The few minutes it took him to finish his meal gave Kurt a short while to come up with a plan for the day. It took him another couple of more minutes to pack up what he owned and quite a few to navigate his way through the boys without kicking any of them.

He opened the heavy door as quietly as possible and stepped outside. He breathed in the morning air that still smelled like rain and wet grass and took a couple of determined steps before stopping dead. His head was telling him to move, go, walk away but something was stopping him and he was rooted on the spot.

"God damn it!" he cursed. "Why is this so hard, we've only been here for a few hours!"

Thatcher was making his morning business and did not answer. Kurt sighed rather dramatically and sat down on a bench that desperately needed re-painting.

It would be a whole lot safer to belong into a group again. Surviving in a big city was hard when you didn't have a guarantee of a safe place to spend the night and it was even harder when you were on your own. Plus, Kurt couldn't deny that he had been feeling lonely lately. Thatcher was a good friend but he wasn't the best choice to have a conversation with.

But still, Kurt was so used to making it on his own by now that his instincts were making him anxious. Other people could mean trouble as well as security, especially since he knew next to nothing about these... Warblers.

_"I had a dream... I dreamed it for you, Dad..." _

He had been humming quietly to himself for a while, it was a habit of his when he was lost in thought. The songs usually filled him with nostalgia and he ended up belting them out in the most inappropriate places. He'd sing until he forgot what his dilemma was because the solution had formed in his head while he let the music take over.

His clear voice filled the morning air as he sung out the song he had used so many times to vent out so many frustrations. He didn't hear or see the door open again, completely wrapped around the music he imagined all around him. He was only alerted about the existence of the rest of the world after he nearly screamed out the last note and gave himself a couple of seconds to breathe.

He had made up his mind.

Thatcher barked sharply, breaking Kurt's bubble and the boy spun around to face Blaine, whose mouth was hanging open. For a few seconds they just stared at each other before Blaine shook his head, his curls bouncing, and he reached to scratch his neck.

"Um... Good morning?"

Kurt's heart was making some sort of gymnastic moves. Whether it was because he was still breathless or because of something totally else, he didn't know. "...morning."

Blaine took a couple of steps forward. "Are you leaving?"

"I was... I was just gonna take Thatcher for a walk."

"With all your stuff?"

Kurt sighed. "I'm confused," he confessed. "And scared and all that. Wouldn't you be?"

"What's there to be scared about?" Blaine asked, frowning.

"Oh, I don't know. I met a stranger yesterday, he offered me a place to stay the night and oops, now I kinda don't feel like I want to leave. Yeah, I'm scared. The world is scary and I don't feel comfortable when I feel safe."

Blaine's frown deepened. "You're not making much sense."

"I know I'm not," Kurt sighed. "Could you at least... pretend to understand? Just so I don't have to feel so stupid."

The other boy chuckled and his face melted into a smile. "That was amazing, you know," he said.

Kurt blushed. "No, it wasn't, I just woke up and..."

"No, Kurt, believe me. That was absolutely fantastic. And I'm telling you, you should definitely stay to see what Tuesday is about. You'll enjoy it, I swear."

Kurt knew he wasn't going to say 'no'. But saying yes felt too risky so he settled to: "I'll see what makes Tuesday so precious. I make no promises of tomorrow."

Blaine smirked. He actually smirked and Kurt could swear he saw a little twinkle in his eyes. "Well then. I'll just have to find a way to convince every day."

* * *

"I think Blaine's crushing on him."

"Oh, don't be stupid, he met the boy last night!"

"And brought him home! I'm telling you, we'll be celebrating a wedding within a month!"

"You're convinced everyone's in love, Trent."

"Yeah, don't get me started on that theory you have of me and Wes..."

"You guys should really just stop denying what's between you two, you'll be so much happier once you admit everything."

"You know what, you really have to come back down from that cloud you live on, seriously, it's not..."

"Shh, you guys, they're coming back!"

"Hand in hand?"

"No! Just, go back to bed, pretend you didn't see anything!"

"_I will go down with this ship..._"

"Shut up, Trent!"

* * *

**I'll go down with this ship, too :) :) **

**Love you all, good night!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! School has been so stressful that all my thoughts about plot development and such just came to a halt, I couldn't get my brain to work at all. **

**But here you are, finally, chapter three. **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, ALERTS and FAVORITES!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

* * *

**Collision**

"You could perform in public, you know," Kurt said on the third Tuesday he spent with the Warblers. As it turned out, there was something about every day that made it worth for Kurt to stay yet another night. And on Tuesdays, the Warblers sang. "As a group, I mean."

Kurt had been absolutely blown away by the Warbler's rendition of Teenage Dream that was, supposedly, impromptu. He was also confused as to why they chose to hide their talent in a warehouse type of building as opposed to showing the world what they could do. He had kept his thoughts to himself as he didn't want to upset anyone but now that he was alone with Blaine, he felt like he could gently poke the subject.

"Yeah, we know," Blaine replied dismissively. The two of them had been walking around the city all morning and had ended up somewhere between downtown and the suburbs. Thatcher loved it as they could let him off leash.

"So why don't you?"

Blaine shrugged. "Some of the guys don't wanna be recognized," he said. He smiled when Thatcher came running at them with a stick in his mouth and his tail wagging. "Drop it," he commanded and the dog obeyed without objection. "Alright, wait. Waaaait. Off you go!"

"You're going to have to play with him for the rest of the day, you know," Kurt warned.

"I don't mind."

"I hope you don't because I'm not kidding."

"I've grown fond of him. Of both of you," Blaine said with such a genuine smile on his face that Kurt blushed. He cleared his throat and shook his head, hoping against hope that Blaine hadn't noticed the change of the color on his cheeks.

"Right, so, uh… What do you mean, don't want to be recognized?"

"Well, everyone has a story. Some of them have more downs than ups. I listen if anyone wants to talk but I don't try to poke my way into anyone's business."

"Oh, that's not what I'm…"

"I know, Kurt. It's okay. I asked questions when I first joined the Warblers, too. It's only natural you want to know more about the people you now live with. Don't worry, you won't always be the new kid around. You'll find out more eventually."

Kurt nodded because yeah, that sounded fair. He wasn't about to start investigating everyone's lives when he wasn't ready to share much about his.

Thatcher came back again, showing no signs of growing tired of this game. Blaine chuckled softly and threw the stick as far as he could. "Sometimes I wish I had the energy of a happy dog," he sighed. "You're so lucky you found him."

"Oh, I know," Kurt said fondly. "It's a shame he doesn't understand how grateful I am for him."

"Who says he doesn't? I swear, that dog has some serious psychic skills."

"Only when it comes to food," Kurt laughed. "What?" he asked when he saw that Blaine was kind of staring at him.

"I like it when you do that," Blaine simply said.

"Do what?"

"Laugh."

To say Kurt was taken aback by that would be a major understatement. He didn't even realize Blaine had taken his hand until he felt himself being pulled down a bit when Blaine picked up Thatcher's stick yet again.

Their fingers were laced together and it seemed like no big deal for Blaine. Kurt's heart, however, was beating hard against his chest. Sure, Blaine had held his hand for a number of times but it had always been because he wanted to show Kurt something, to make him tag along. There was nothing to show Kurt now, Blaine had taken his hand just to hold it. And it was the most intimate thing to happen to Kurt in a long time.

"Earth to Kurt?"

Kurt blinked. "Huh?"

"It seemed like you were quite far away."

"No, sorry. Just… lost in thought. Did you say something?"

"Nothing important," Blaine assured. "So, tell me something Kurt. Will I have to try and convince you to stay yet again or have you finally decided that you don't want to leave?"

Kurt considered this. He did feel safe with the Warblers, that was true, it was always better to have a group of people around you while battling the endless wars with hunger and cold. And he couldn't deny the pain that twisted his stomach when he thought of leaving Blaine.

"I really do want you to stay Kurt," Blaine said suddenly. Kurt hadn't even noticed that they had stopped.

"Why?" he asked and kicked himself for doing so. It was such a natural instinct, to question people's motives.

"I told you already," Blaine replied. "I've grown fond of you."

The best of liars always sounded the most sincere, Kurt had grown to know. But the twinkling in Blaine's eyes when he smiled was so painfully hopeful that Kurt couldn't help but admit: "I want us to stay, too."

Blaine's smile grew to light up his whole face and before Kurt knew it, he had been pulled into a tight hug. He was pretty sure he was hearing things when he heard a quiet 'thank you' being whispered into his ear. It took a couple of moments but eventually Kurt lifted his arms to put them around Blaine's waist. The other boy hugged him closer and they stayed like that for a confusingly long time.

"I promise you, Kurt, you're never going to regret this," Blaine said as they pulled apart. "The others will be happy to hear you're staying, too."

"Oh, please, they're happy I'm not taking Thatcher away from them," Kurt said but his tone was lightly teasing.

It was just then that the dog decided to bounce back with his self-made toy. The two boys laughed at his endless enthusiasm as Blaine threw the stick away for the countless time.

"Hakuna Matata… What a wonderful phrase…"

"What the hell, Blaine?"

"Hakuna Matata… ain't no passing grace…! What? I thought it fit the occasion," Blaine defended his choice of song.

"The Lion King? Really?"

"Don't say a word against Disney, my dear Kurt. Those movies got me through some tough times."

"Did they really?"

"Yup. Come on, sing with me. I know you know it. Everyone knows it."

Blaine was holding both of Kurt's hands now, looking at him with perfect puppy eyes that just screamed 'pweeaaaaaaaase?' Kurt shook his head, both because he couldn't quite understand why he liked this boy so much and because it might just be that Blaine was even more complex than Kurt himself.

"It means no worries, for the rest of your days…"

The Warbler squealed, actually squealed, when Kurt finally continued the song and Kurt couldn't fight the wide smile that spread on his own face.

"It's a trouble free… philosophy… Hakuna Matata!"

It may have been a silly Disney song but their voices blended together perfectly. At that particular moment Kurt really felt like there was no trouble in the world, that his life was easy and normal and filled with sun shine, rainbows and Blaine.

Blaine.

Blaine.

Blaine.

"Kurt!"

…no.

No, not now, he couldn't handle this now, why, why, why…?

Kurt wanted to bolt, he wanted to escape, because he knew the voice that had been calling for him. Blaine was trying to ask him what was wrong but Kurt could barely hear him as he was trying to figure out which direction he should run to.

"Oh my God, Kurt, it is you!"

Shit.

The day had been so perfect so far.

In the next second Kurt was enveloped into yet another embrace. This time, however, his body refused to respond. His brain seemed to have come to a screeching halt.

"We've been looking all over for you," the girl in his arms said. "It's getting so cold, we were worried…"

Kurt couldn't stop the slightly hysterical chuckle that escaped his mouth. "Worried? Are you kidding me?"

"I most certainly am not!"

"Rachel, you kicked me out!

"Wait… What?"

Oh, right. Blaine was still there, too. Perfect.

"Kurt, we never thought…"

"What? That I'd take it seriously? That I'd actually be hurt by what you did and said that night? You acted like it was all my fault!"

"Okay, so we over-reacted…"

"To put it mildly."

"…but we want you to come home," Rachel said, disregarding Kurt's comment. "We miss you."

Oh, this had to be the most ironic thing to happen right now. Behind Rachel, Blaine was looking at the two of them with his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Thatcher was sitting behind his legs, his ears flat against his head as he scowled at Rachel. Yes, scowled.

"You belong with us. You should not be out here all alone, anything could…"

"I'm not alone."

"Kurt, Thatcher is great but he's just a small Jackrussel, he can't…"

"No, Rachel, I mean it. I'm not alone." Kurt's eyes were fixed on Blaine's now.

Rachel frowned and turned around on her heels to glare at the poor Warbler. "Who are you?"

"He's a friend," Kurt said when Blaine was clearly taken aback by Rachel's tone of voice. "A good one. I'm staying with him and a group of other boys."

"A group of…? Kurt! Are you insane, you can't just get comfortable with a bunch of people you don't know!"

"Yes, because we were all best friends when we first formed our little group," Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

"We're nice," Blaine decided to comment then. "Kurt's safe with us, I promise."

"But we're his family, we…"

And with those words, Rachel crossed the line. "Family? Families don't do what you did! Families talk. You should have talked to me, you should have asked me what really happened! But no, you decided that blaming me for everything would be so much easier than looking at yourself in the mirror. I tried telling you but you wouldn't listen! I was telling the truth and I'll say it again: Finn did not leave because of my _stupid crush on him!" _

He realized his mistake a second too late. His heartbeat became quicker and getting air into his lungs got harder as he took a step back. He glanced at Blaine who was looking back with an expression that was may less shocked and surprised than what Kurt would have thought.

"I… I gotta go."

"Kurt…"

"No, Rachel. I'm not coming back."

And he ran.

He hated this. Hated Rachel for ruining his perfect day, for asking him to come back when he had just decided that maybe he could build a home with the Warblers. Hated himself for not biting his tongue and stopping himself from spilling his guts.

Too lost in his own, mixed up thoughts, he didn't notice that his shoelaces had loosened and, of course, ended up tripping. He hissed as his right elbow hit the hard ground and knew immediately that the knees of his jeans were now ruined. Tears of frustration and pain pooled up in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

Something cold touched his cheek. Kurt sniffed as he lifted his hand to scratch Thatcher behind the ear.

"Sorry, buddy," he mumbled. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"He's not the only one you scared," Kurt heard Blaine say behind me. "Gosh, Kurt, you're bleeding!"

"I'm fine," Kurt said dismissively when Blaine kneeled down in front of him and gently took a hold of his arm. "I'm… I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"Everyone has a past," Blaine shrugged. "I just didn't realize yours was so… loud." Kurt smiled a little. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Okay. Just know that I'm here if you do."

"…thank you."

"Don't mention it. Alright, we should go home and clean your elbow. We don't want it to get infected."

Kurt swallowed against the lump in his throat. "It's… It's still okay? That I stay with you?"

Blaine looked genuinely shocked. "Of course it is! Why?" Kurt shrugged, embarrassed. "Wait, you didn't… Kurt, did you think we'd make you leave if you came out?"

"No?"

"Oh my God, you did."

"Look, I… I know how you are about Nick and Jeff and I know that you want me to comfortable… But I've gotten a lot of crap because I'm gay, this is all just so… new." Kurt's cheeks were positively flaming now.

"I understand," Blaine said softly. "Probably better than most."

Kurt blinked. "So… you're…?"

"Oh don't claim that you hadn't guessed," Blaine laughed.

"I… suspected?"

Blaine smiled. "It took me a while, too. You know, before I figured that I don't have to hide it. Now it's just so… normal that sometimes I forget people don't just automatically know."

"You're lucky," Kurt murmured. He tried his best not to sound bitter.

Blaine didn't reply but the way his hold tightened around Kurt's arm indicated that he knew what Kurt was talking about. "Come on. I know a shortcut."

He helped Kurt up and wrapped his arm around his waist.

Kurt tried not to think too much about how right it felt to be pressed against Blaine like that.

* * *

"What the hell? Where's the food, Berry?"

"Stop thinking with your stomach, Santana, I've got news."

"It's hard to think with anything else when you're starving enough to actually taste Puck's cooking."

"What's wrong with my cooking?"

"Guys, I saw Kurt."

There was a momentary silence until Tina asked quietly: "How is he?"

"He seemed to be fine. A little thin but that's not new. But apparently he's hanging out with this group of boys these days. There was someone with him, Blake or Barry or something like that."

"Well, it's good to know he's not alone," Mike said and Tina nodded.

"No, it's not good, guys! Jesse and his group only think of us as annoying little thorn on their side, they don't respect us one bit! We're never going to be allowed to the better areas if they don't think we deserve it. We need to convince Kurt to come back, we need to him so that we can be a stronger group again," Rachel said.

"Rachel, Kurt doesn't owe us anything," Artie said. "On the contrary, it's us that owe him an apology."

"Artie's right, we were just a bunch of assholes to him. If he's happy with this Blake dude then we should just let him be," Puck agreed.

"People should never disturb the happiness of unicorns. When they are sad the whole world cries," Brittany commented.

"What happened back then is all in the past, he's just holding a grudge because he likes to be dramatic," Rachel said. "If he wants an apology, fine, we'll apology. At this point I'll do whatever it takes to change his mind and come home."

"We can ask," Santana said. "But if he says no then that's it, we're not going to pressure him. No, hobbit, you keep your mouth shut. It's not fair of us to ask any favors from him. We'll have to find a way to beat Jesse on our own."

Rachel pouted.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! **

**See you next time, come say hi on tumblr :) **

**Love and kisses to ya all! **

**DoMF**


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